The Parentification Inventory: Development, Validation, and Cross-Validation

Abstract

Despite the ubiquitous nature of parentification, few instruments allow for the empirical study of the roles, responsibilities, and processes that undergird this construct. To fill this need, the researchers developed and refined a new instrument, the Parentification Inventory (PI; Hooper, 2009 Hooper, L. M. 2009. Parentification Inventory, Edited by: Hooper, L. M. Tuscaloosa, AL: Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology, and Counseling, The University of Alabama. 35487 [Google Scholar]). A sample of 847 college students was split into two random, non-overlapping samples. For these initial survey development and cross-validation studies, the factor structure and psychometric properties of the PI were examined. To assess the PI's reliability, the researchers conducted an exploratory factor analysis (Study 1) using the first sub-sample of 431 students (mean age = 20.86, SD = 3.55). The researchers used the results to refine the PI and conducted a subsequent confirmatory factor analysis (Study 2) using the second, non-overlapping sample of 416 students (mean age = 20.89, SD = 3.83). The best fitting and most parsimonious model resulted in 22 items that cohered into three unique, replicable factors that were found to be fairly stable and associated, although small in magnitude, with mental health constructs and psychopathology in theoretically expected directions. Implications and directions for future research on the measurement of parentification are considered.